A Russian court has ordered the placement of Forbes journalist Sergei Mingazov under house arrest following his detention on allegations of spreading false information about the Russian armed forces, according to reports from the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Forbes Russia has confirmed that Mingazov will remain under house arrest for a minimum of two months pending trial, subsequent to his arrest on Friday.
The report from RIA Novosti on Saturday stated, “Forbes journalist Mingazov, detained in the case of spreading fake news about the Russian Armed Forces, has been placed under house arrest.”
According to Mingazov’s lawyer, Konstantin Bubon, the journalist was apprehended for reposting content concerning events in Bucha, Ukraine, on the messaging app Telegram.
At the time of writing, Mingazov’s Telegram channel had 476 subscribers and featured reposted stories from various news outlets, including the BBC’s Russian service and Radio Freedom, regarding alleged atrocities committed by the Russian military in Bucha, near Kyiv, Ukraine.
Accusations
Bubon explained that Mingazov faces accusations of disseminating knowingly false information about the Russian armed forces under the guise of reliable reporting.
The city of Bucha was liberated by Ukrainian forces in late March 2022, following its occupation during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of the same year. Allegations from the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office suggest that the Russian army committed numerous war crimes in the Bucha district, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement in the reported mass killings and has dismissed claims that the images of civilian casualties are fabricated.
Restrictions
As a precautionary measure, Mingazov’s house arrest includes restrictions on internet usage and communication, with allowances only for relatives, investigators, legal representatives, and medical personnel.
This development comes amidst a broader crackdown on journalists in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Several high-profile journalists, including Alsu Kurmasheva from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Evan Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal, have been arrested.
Furthermore, courts have issued arrest warrants in absentia for several journalists critical of the Russian government, including Alexander Nevzorov, Dmitry Gordon, and Marina Ovsyannikova.
In a separate incident on Saturday, a local Russian court press service announced the detention of Konstantin Gabov, described as a Russian journalist associated with the Reuters news agency. Gabov is accused of “extremism” for his alleged involvement in producing content for a YouTube channel linked to the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The court has ordered Gabov’s detention until at least June 27, citing his role in the preparation of photo and video materials for the YouTube channel.